The Digital Generation--Who are They?

Essential Question: How can we as teachers design activities that engage the Digital Generation?


Project Based Learning Need to Knows

In this activity, we will explore Project Based Learning a bit and find out what our need to knows are as we delve into PBL

Article Walk/Discussion: Characteristics of the Digital Generation


| Understanding the Digital Generation | Adjusting to the Google Generation |
  • Read the Article your group is assigned:
    • Write down one or more ASSUPTIONS that the author makes
    • Write down one or more things you would ARGUE with the author
    • Write down one or more things you want to ASPIRE to
    • Write down one or more things you AGREE with
  • Once time is up, start with one of the A's and go around your group to debrief

Transitional Changes in Education (21st Century Shifts)

  • In order to meet the needs of students today and to prepare students for the 21st Century, what shifts must occur in the classroom?
  • What are some of the challenges to shifting from Traditional Learning to 21st Century Learning?

Project Based-Learning

  • The Difference Between Projects and PBL
    Difference between projects and project based learning.jpg

Project Based Learning Essentials

    • Driving Questions--Think about what it is you want your students to learn holistically from the project.

      • A Driving Question guides student learning throughout a project. It is open-ended and enticing, and students should be able to refine their own answer to it as the project progresses and as their learning expands.
      • Good Driving Questions are:
        • provocative (engaging)
        • challenging (rigorous)
        • are open-ended with no single correct answer
        • go to the heart of a discipline or topic
      • Some Examples of Driving Questions
        • Emerging - What is global Warming | Better - Should we be worried about the affects of global warming in Bogalusa
        • Emerging – Why did Truman decide to use the Atomic bomb? | Better – Is the use of weapons of mass destruction ever justified?


        • Problem Statements
      • Problem statements are more specific than Driving Questions. Problem statements define the role of the students, what they will do and work to solve during the project, and an expression of why students will be doing what they're doing.
Good problem statements typically follow the format: How can we as... [do]... so that... Essentially, problem statements name the who (student role), what (project products/goals), and the why (what makes this project matter)

Project Based Learning Resources (What is Project Based Learning)

The following resources will help you understand a little more about Project Based Learning if you haven't already engaged in it before.

Assignment:


Create a Tagxedo or Wordle that describes teaching and learning in your SCHOOL. This is not a Tagxedo/Wordle about your classroom, this is to describe your school as a whole. Start by answering some of the questions below to help get you started.
  • What does learning look like on average across my school?
  • What do students say about my school?
  • What do parents say about my school?
  • What does technology usage look like in my school?
  • What type of teaching typically goes on in my school?
Brainstorm the adjectives that describe your school and put them in a word processing program. Once finished, copy and paste them into Wordle or Taxedo. Create a Wordle or Taxedo based on the characteristics of your school and save it.

Now that you have created a word cloud, reflect on the following Questions. We will discuss in class.
  • What do you see the advantages of using word clouds in the classroom (how does the digital generation respond)?
  • Where there any negatives to using Wordle/Tagxedo?
  • How could/would you use Wordle or Tagxedo in the classroom?

Google Classroom Discussion:
Think about the current state of technology integration in your school based on the questions you answered above. What do you believe is the biggest THREAT to moving your SCHOOL forward when it comes to 21st Century Learning and Technology integration?

Due Thursday: Take a first stab at creating your Entry Event and Driving Question for your PBL Final Project